What Do Head Lice Look Like?

When your child is bringing head lice home, the first thing you’ll want to do is check if this is really head lice. And your first question will probably be: What does head lice look like?

This will depend if we are looking for adult lice, nymphs, or head lice eggs, also called nits. In this article we’ll focus on adult head lice.

The louse is a small insect without wings, whose body is flattened. His abdomen is wider than the rest of his body. Females are usually larger than males. As lice have no wings, they cannot fly.

Male and female head lice pictures

(keep in mind that their real length is less than half a centimeter):

Important Note: most of the images presented on this site are magnified because pictures of lice on hair would not allow you to really see them, as they are really very small. You should anyway take a magnifying glass when you are checking for lice, to be sure that you have lice and not something else.

Adult female louse. Eggs can be observed in the abdomen. Center For Disease Control.

Frequently Asked Questions – What Does Head Lice Look Like

What does head lice look like on a head?

You will not see them on the head as they are tiny. You’ll have to scrutinize the areas near the scalp, in the neck area and behind the ears. Head lice look like a sesame seed and is usually white, but not when eating, and in people with dark hair, the adult louse usually looks darker, as head lice are known to be able to adapt to its host’s hair color.

What does the hair look like with head lice?

The hair with head lice doesn’t look anything special from a normal distance. This is why you will not know that you have head lice unless you have itching symptoms or someone scrutinizes your scalp and hair carefully.

Disclaimer: This site is designed for informational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. If you feel that you have a health issue, you should seek the advice of your Physician or Health Care Practitioner.You should always be very careful when dealing with head lice in children.